Chapter 52
A darkened room. The stage lit by warm lights.
Children and adults alike had anticipation written all over their faces, excited to see what kind of play would unfold.
But behind the stage, the children set to perform wore shadows of worry and anxiety.
Some of it was normal stage fright—wondering if they’d make a mistake, unsure if they could satisfy the audience.
But more than that, they were worried about Lily, who had been cast as the princess.
Before the play began, Rene had informed them that Lily couldn’t participate at the start due to a stomachache.
“I wish Lily could be up there with us.”
“She worked so hard to prepare...”
“It’s all that weird food from that shop’s fault.”
“Yeah, totally.”
As the children muttered in frustration, looking glum, Rene stepped in.
“Don’t worry. She said she’ll definitely join in once she’s feeling better. So come on, everyone—smiles on your faces. Miss Red’s been really looking forward to your performance, and if you go onstage looking like that, she’ll just get worried.”